 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar Hi, Roy, how'd you like to try some Creole cooking? Okay, what's up one of the Bell hops at St. Agnes Hotel in New Orleans had quite a time last night You open the safe walked out with seventy five hundred dollars in cash and a diamond necklace with a cool 25,000 So help me Roy. I didn't know Bell hops had so much fun That isn't all you also stole a station wagon belonging to the hotel manager not to mention the manager's wife What do you want back mainly that necklace it's the property of one of our clients She was stopping at the St. Agnes and had it stood in the hotel safe any line on the bell hop not a trace so far the wife Don't be funny and see what's happened for us. Sure, Roy Tonight in every weekday night Bob Bailey and the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigators yours truly Johnny dollar Expense accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to the new Britain mutual insurance company Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of expenditure is during my investigation of the Valentine matter Expense account item one one hundred and seventy five dollars in no sense airfare and the incidental cost it takes to get from Hartford to New Orleans Once there I was more than surprised to discover the police had wound up the whole case The prodigal bellhop along with the seventy five hundred in cash the diamond necklace the station wagon Even the manager's wife had all been recovered Everything and everyone tearful, but intact. I reported this development to all parties concerned phoned the airport for a reservation back to Hartford Which they said would be the following afternoon and then looked around for something to do I found a spot on Burgundy Street that seemed to be less crowded than the others and settle down for the That's where it happened. He was sitting alone Tall gray haired rugged a face full of some 50 odd years. I guessed follow some other things. No one could guess It was three drinks at the bar before I made out who he was who he had been a man Who was once big in a way than only prohibition made them big this seat taken no Mind if I sit down mr. Valentine You can't be that old how old old enough to recognize me recognize you from your picture a long time ago I Guess I could tell you more about that than anybody You a cop now. I'm an insurance investigating. You're a cop once once Gonna buy you a drink mr. Valentine Dan's enough sure You're doing better than the boys in the force. I've been living in New Orleans for three months now Nobody's calling me any reason why they should no No, there isn't Then no one's ever figured out a way to stop a policeman for making a visit when he wants to that's true That's a funny thing. There's a lot of policemen. I've liked in my day visiting policemen That is on certain days You're too young to remember much about a dollar But a long time ago a bunch of old women made a law called the Ballstead act sure prohibition everybody heard about it Including the old women who passed the law You see this law was supposed to be for the other guy Not for them Anyhow a lot of people started bottling up violations of this Ballstead act You're tired. No, not a bit to him Well, I got me a lot of money and a lot of trouble 13 years for income tax evasion finally Ended just three months ago and I came here to live happily ever after Funny no New Orleans is a nice quiet place to live But it's still no one's bothering you. That's the way I want to keep it And they can pass a thousand stupid laws and I'm not gonna fall for any of them Everything the book says everything in order Now that sounds pretty good. Do you believe it? Yes, I do Then I've got my point over. I'm flattered that you recognize me doll. I paid back 10 days for everyone I took all I ask is that you don't ask the police to bother me Okay As far as I'm concerned Dan, you didn't even have the dinner. I'm about to buy for you dollar It's nice to come out of prison be recognized by a nice guy. Where we go to me Mirams That's where we went and it was a swell dinner Only Dan Valentine didn't eat much of it. He tried to smile and crack-wise, but there was a sadness about him that stood in the way I wanted to ask him more questions about those days back when but I didn't We dropped into a couple of other places the absent house Joe Gloriosos We listened to some jazz and drank Sazarex and walked along Canal Street finally we shook hands and said goodnight Expense account item two twenty six dollars and twenty six cents hotel board and miscellaneous The next morning I packed my bags checked out of my hotel and was about to take a limousine out to mobile I report Mr. Dollar. Yeah a message for you. Oh, thanks It was from a police officer on the New Orleans force an inspector debacle Could I drop by before I left town? I went right over and met debacle a tall lean gray haired man with 30 years service who kind of puzzled me at first Thanks for coming by Donna. Sure What's up The bellhop take back his confession on that necklace there. No, no, this is something else Donna Dan Valentine. Oh You met him about 6 30 last night you had two drinks with him and he went over to Mirams and had dinner You went to two other places. You left him at 11 30 Yeah, I also brush my teeth when I got back to the hotel, but I bet you can't tell me what color my pajamas. Take it easy Just take it easy Maybe I'm saying this bad He doesn't know it Well, we've been keeping an eye on Danny ever since he showed up in you on just so happened You were with him last night and you did business with us here yesterday afternoon. So We want to know if you had any business with Dan Valentine. Don't be funny inspector. Okay. Okay now Don't get huffy. Let me put it this way Dan came to New Orleans three months ago bought a house out in Jefferson Parish He had a housekeeper bought himself a little car took up fishing every afternoon or just walking nothing wrong with that Oh, of course, there isn't we like it fine The boys in the car drive by now and then look at him. Just look no questions or knocking on the door When we see Danny in town, we turn the other way just look you see sure Now he doesn't have any visitors no old pals from Chicago or New York or Detroit come to see him He lives alone and he likes it. That's what he told me You're his first visitor Now I just wondered you wondered wrong debacle. Okay. Okay. I had to ask about it. You know how it is. Yeah Yeah, yeah Okay Right on cue your pal just stopped a couple of bullets, huh Danny Valentine come on According to the uniformed officer who had put in the call a newspaper boy had found Valentine lying on the sidewalk and rouse the neighborhood One of the residents had carried him inside the ambulance crew stood by the bed as we came in Valentine was lying on his back the white chenille spread under him changing to a deep red Two bullets had ripped ragged holes in one shoulder through flesh and bone But he was just as self-contained as ever. I got the idea. You were gonna stay out of trouble, Dan I didn't know I was in any trouble. Hi, your daughter. Okay You went to the police after all no the inspector called me in about you Dan, but let's forget that for now How'd this happen this? Clean on my gun. You're loser Dan. You're not supposed to have a gun. Oh, you know me in the law We sometimes didn't hit it off But where is the gun? What gun the gun you were cleaning when you were walking down the street and shot yourself. I Swallowed it. Now look Somebody's taken a couple of shots at you Dan. Nobody can tell us anything about it, but you so far We don't want you murdered Well Okay boys get the ambulance back. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You're hurt. You're going to the police hospital. No, no I've served my time and I'm clean being shot at even in this state doesn't make you a criminal Dollar yeah, Dan do me a favor. Would you phone a private hospital and have me taken there? Go ahead Johnny Take it easy, Dan. I did as he asked a Crew from one of the large private hospitals was out there in a matter of minutes and an hour and a half later Dan Valentine was operated on and the bullets successfully removed from his shoulder I waited around until he was taken to a private room and inspected the Baca waited with me Dollar yeah, why don't you go back to Hartford? This isn't any of your business I know my plane takes off at four. I'll be on it. Why are you waiting around here? Oh To see how he is I guess your pal yours. I just met him last night. You know that but you're waiting around. Yeah You want me to tell you why you're waiting around You want to make sure he's okay You met him last night and outside of what you ever read or heard about him You don't know him from a load of coal, but you want to make sure he's gonna be all right so do I Isn't that room and on that bed lies quite a man I thought about summed it up No matter what he had been or what he had done Dan Valentine was quite a man It was the same thing that it caused me to go over to him the night before and start a conversation The same thing that caused me to believe his plans for living a quiet life in New Orleans He came out of the anesthetic a half hour later and he sent for me Hi, hi, they say it's gonna be okay. Oh, sure sure. This is nothing I Just wanted to thank you for giving me a hand to Baca could probably help you more All you have to do is tell him who shot you and why I shot myself and just for something to do Look, Dan, I have a fair idea of how tough things were for you and how tough they can be now But Inspector to Baca understands it too. He'll do everything he can to help you But you have to help him Dan to Baca's a good boy. You're right. You'll tell him who shot you if there was any way He could help me. I'd let him know first I'll handle this myself Guess you'll want to be getting your airplane Yeah Good luck kiddo same to you. I went back to my hotel picked up my bags and took a cab to mobile on airport My plane had developed engine trouble and there was gonna be a five-hour delay I killed time at the bar and in the restaurant and just standing around looking at the field at night By that time the newspapers carry the story of the attempt on Dan Valentine's life It was as skimpy as the story Dan had told himself and had troubled me Yeah long distance off you from Hartford you can take it right in there. Oh, thanks Johnny darling just waiting for my plane back to Hartford now Yeah, I was in on it in a way Somebody shot at him today. He won't tell who says he'll handle it himself I don't know why we carry you you mean I can stay here and work on this Okay, Roy There'll be another intriguing episode in our story of the Valentine matter tomorrow tomorrow all the king's men That could be the new Orleans police force try to keep one man alive, and they almost do it Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar yours truly Johnny dollar is transcribed in Hollywood Written by John Dawson. It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for another exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking